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Catholic Communities Rally Aid as West Coast Wildfires Continue to Devastate
A series of wildfires on the West Coast of the United States have raged in recent weeks, burning millions of acres, killing dozens, forcing many to flee from their homes and putting thousands of firefighters at risk as they battle the blazes. Some Catholic parishes and facilities have... Read more -
St. Peter Claver’s guide to racial equality
St. Peter Claver was a Jesuit missionary from Spain during the 17th century, who was appalled by the slave trade and the living conditions of the enslaved people. Unlike many of his own countrymen, Claver saw these people as human beings, not animals, deserving the same respect and... Read more -
How the Catholic Church helped unemployed laborers in the 1920s
The 1920s are known as the “Roaring Twenties” because they were years of economic growth and rising prosperity. But while the U.S. was booming, other countries were grappling with stagnation and mass unemployment. The U.K. was emerging from a war in which it had lost 886,000 lives. After... Read more -
Pope Francis: ‘Christian charity is not simple philanthropy’
Christian charity is more than simple philanthropy, Pope Francis said in his Angelus address Sunday. Speaking from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square Aug. 23, the pope said: “Christian charity is not simple philanthropy but, on the one hand, it is looking at others through the eyes... Read more -
Catholic Missions Aid Beirut in Blast Aftermath
For five years Anthony Nasrani has joined other Lebanese Christians in supplying food to Christian refugees who come to Lebanon to escape war and persecution. Now, following the devastating explosions in the capital city, Beirut, earlier this month that decimated the country’s food supply,... Read more -
Bishop Hying and Archbishop Listecki lead Eucharistic procession in Madison, WI
The Second Person of the Holy Trinity was given a police escort up riot-scarred State Street to the Wisconsin Capitol building on Saturday, followed in procession by 2,000 Catholics who proclaimed in word and deed that Jesus Christ is the answer and antidote to our troubled times. Madison... Read more -
Catholic priest in Australia says grace helped him save surfer in shark attack
Fr. Liam Ryan, a long-time surfer, was on vacation visiting his best friend in Western Australia when, on the afternoon of July 31, he noticed a fellow surfer in distress. “I saw him off his board, looking really lost and there was half a board floating there,” Ryan, 33, told The... Read more -
Polish bishops recall service of priests, nuns during Warsaw Uprising
Commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis, the Catholic bishops of Poland released a reflection on the priests and nuns who ministered to the needs of the Polish people during the historic event. “During the sixty-three days of the Warsaw Uprising, which... Read more -
Lebanese cardinal: ‘The Church has a great duty’ after Beirut explosion
After at least one explosion occurred at the ports of Beirut on Tuesday, a Maronite Catholic cardinal has said the local Church needs support to help the people of Lebanon recover from this disaster. “Beirut is a devastated city. A catastrophe struck there because of the mysterious... Read more -
Church leaders praise John Hume for dedication to cause of peace in N. Ireland
John Hume was “a person of vision, who lifts us up to see and think beyond the confines of our own, much narrower, perspectives,” according to the Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh. Hume, who died Aug. 3 at the age of 83, was principal architect of Northern... Read more